Saving tomato seeds question.

[Kassaundra]

If I picked my tomatoes green and allowed them to ripen in side (b/c of a hard freeze) are seeds collected from them viable?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know but I'd be nervous about them. My main concern is that they may not be fully developed, store enough food reservoir to support growth. You might dry them well, maybe stick them in the frig or freezer for a week to maybe help break dormancy, then try a gemination test. I don't think I'd rely on them without testing them first. And I'd look for "plump" seeds instead of flat.

The green tomatoes I let ripen like you had less meat in them. I'd be concerned the seeds were also less than perfect. But I really don't know.

 

[Kassaundra]

Those were some of my thoughts too and since this is my first seed saving year I just wasn't sure. I did save seed from fully ripened tomatoes (but I only got a handful literally this year) But I got two 5 gall buckets of green that are ripening as we speak.

 

[April Manier]

How green we talkin?

 

[Kassaundra]

How green we talkin?

Totally green at the time of harvest no sign of blushing or color changing at all.

 

[digitS']

Kassaundra, I've collected seed from cull tomatoes - after the 1st frost.

If there are still some on the plant that you didn't want for the kitchen, they could be a source for seeds. You know that they are going to produce lots of volunteers out there next year.

And no, allowing volunteers to grow doesn't usually work for me. Most every year, I leave 1 or 2 plants just to see. There was one that was probably a Sungold that I was curious about. It finally ripened a couple of fruits but they didn't have a good flavor. Of course, Sungold is a hybrid so I wasn't very optimistic. I also have to guess what the plant's parent was so it is a real roll of the dice.

What I'm also not optimistic about is the production of any plant that doesn't have the benefit of 6+ weeks growth before being set out in the spring. They just don't have the time to ripen here. Still, you can rescue that "volunteer's seed" right now, note which plant it is from, and give it a good start indoors for the next season. That is, if you have any fruit still out there fermenting away on its own.

Steve

 

[bid]

Interesting question. I have never tried, but it piqued my curiosity. I would think viable seed would be a very low percentage from seed collected. But, since you can find anything on the 'net nowadays:

HARVEST: If possible, allow tomatoes to completely ripen before harvesting for seed production. Unripe fruits, saved from the first frost, will ripen slowly if kept in a cool, dry location. Seeds from green, unripe fruits will be most viable if extracted after allowing the fruits to turn color.

http://www.seedsave.org/issi/904/beginner.html.

Can't hurt to try if it is a variety you really want to save. I would separate those seeds from the ones you may have saved earlier of the same variety.

 

[catjac1975]

Save a lot and experiment with some in wet paper towel in a warm area to see it their viable. I think they should be fine.